1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a tool for removing a gasket from a glad hand connector in a railway car brake hose system which may also be used to vent pressurized air from coupled glad hand connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
In a railway car brake hose line, the flexible end hoses of two railway cars are connected by glad hand fittings on the respective end hoses. The glad hand fittings are rotated into place, pressing the gaskets together and forming an air-tight seal. Guard arms on each glad hand align the closed fittings and compress the gaskets. In an Association of American Railroads (“AAR”) standard gland hand coupling, the distance between facing surfaces of two coupled glad hand fittings is ⅛ inch.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0237569 discloses a modified glad hand and gasket combination for forming an air tight connection between two glad hand coupling members. The published application is incorporated by reference herein for its description of a gasket and glad hand combination. This application discloses an “extra wide” gasket with an increased surface area facing the adjacent gasket. The extra wide gasket represents an improvement over prior air brake hose connections, however, there remains a problem that the gaskets are not easily removed and glad hand connectors are not easily and safely uncoupled. An end hose with trapped pressurized air in it may fly about when decoupled, and impact with the glad hand fitting may cause damage to equipment or injure personnel.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a tool that can vent air at the junction of two glad hands, and which can be used to remove a gasket from a glad hand fitting.